The Best Outdoor Watering Can

Updated August 30, 2018

We removed our indoor recommendations from this guide. See our houseplant starter kit guide for more information on caring for indoor plants.

Your guide

Sarah Carlisle

After 10 hours of research and testing plus ongoing daily use in a community garden, we’re confident that the Bloem 2.6-Gallon Easy Pour is the best outdoor watering can for most people. It’s durable, easy to fill, and comfortable to carry and lift, and its unique spout design can quickly adjust from a rainshower pour to a steady stream of water.

This was the only watering can we found with an adjustable sprinkle head that converts from a rainshower to a stream of water with one easy click. (With other watering cans, you have to remove the sprinkle head completely to get a steady flow of water.) The Bloem’s rainshower setting is effective for watering both established and immature plants without damaging them, and its steady pour is gentle enough to target crop plants’ roots without washing away the soil around them. The twin handles—a fixed one on the side and a hinged one on top—make filling, carrying, and pouring exceptionally easy. Finally, the Bloem can (which was formerly branded as Fiskars) is sturdy, with a high-quality all-plastic construction that will never rust and no sharp edges or seams that can chafe bare hands.

Buying Options

If you’re a serious gardener or just looking for the best-performing can out there, the Bosmere Haws 1.3-Gallon Longreach V115 is it. This watering can emerged as our pick in our original 2014 test because it delivered the gentlest rainshower, the most precise pour, and, with its long spout, and the most comfort and least back strain when we reached into deep flowerbeds. It’s been a standard among professional gardeners for years. It would have remained our pick if not for a few notable drawbacks for casual gardeners and small spaces: cost (it often goes for $40 or more), size (the long spout means you’ll need to make room to store this can), and availability (which is inconsistent).

Why you should trust us

I’m a community gardener hell-bent on growing as much of my own food as I possibly can given the time, budget, and space constraints of a freelancer in Brooklyn, New York. I moved from Portland, Oregon, where I grew 80 percent of my food in a cooperative garden and completed Oregon State University’s Beginning Urban Farmer Apprenticeship program. I have experience on urban farms and in community and school gardens of all sizes. I really like plants, and I really like good garden tools.

Do you need a watering can?

A watering can is not strictly necessary for many people. If you live in a house or have a community garden plot, you probably have a hose. If you grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, or flowers on a larger scale, you probably have an irrigation system. If you live in an apartment, you have other options, which we explore in another guide, our houseplant starter kit. But watering cans may still have a role to play.

If you’re seeding indoors and transplanting outdoors, watering cans provide the gentle spray and volume of water required for germination and deep roots.

Hoses can be too harsh for seedlings and too short to reach some parts of the yard, and sprinklers can leave some parts of your garden totally dry while making others dangerously soggy. Watering cans are invaluable for addressing such shortcomings and frustrations.

If you’re seeding indoors and transplanting outdoors, watering cans provide the gentle spray and volume of water required for germination and deep roots. In the garden, tomatoes, eggplants, and squashes (zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, and the like) need deep waterings right at the base of the plant, but hate having their leaves get wet—and hoses and sprinklers soak them head to foot. A good watering can lets you water their roots directly and deeply using the “pour” setting and still give lettuce and other leafy greens the gentle rain they prefer using the sprinkle head.

How we picked

Our test models in the rooftop garden at Wirecutter’s New York office. Photo: Michael Hession

Based on initial research and a long conversation with Wirecutter editors who are also gardeners, I developed parameters and began to narrow down a test group of watering cans for this review. Storage, price, and availability all came up as important factors and potential dealbreakers. Additionally, we decided to concentrate on cans between 1.5 and 3 gallons (which provides the right balance of refill frequency and carrying weight). We also planned to assess the benefits of longer-reach cans against more-compact cans that are easier to store.

When researching and selecting models to test, I focused on several considerations and specifications: high-grade molded plastic for longevity plus a lightweight, solid construction; a relatively pleasing design and shape; a total volume of 3 gallons or less; a large, well-placed fill hole; a total height of less than 12 inches for ease of filling in a sink; a good handle design for comfortable gripping, carrying, and pouring; and a removable, preferably adjustable, sprinkle head (sometimes called a “rose”).

The ideal watering can is unobtrusive visually and functionally; as with any hand tool you use in the garden, its design should never get in the way of usability. Versatility, consistency, and sturdiness are key. As for materials, plastic is best: It won’t rust, and the material will last for a long time if you store it properly, out of direct sunlight and away from drastic temperature changes. Urban gardeners and even most home gardeners have limited storage, so a watering can shouldn’t take up a lot of room.

The sprinkle head should cast water evenly and with consistent pressure, and it should allow for direction and precision; if you’re watering plants in containers, you don’t want to be watering the ground around them. If the sprinkle head has a light flow, you may want to remove that piece for direct, deep waterings, so the spout should also be designed to deliver a consistent flow of water that doesn’t glug percussively or bore a hole in the soil at the base of your plant.

The handle on the watering can should be wide enough so that you can grip it without crushing your fingers, and the molded plastic should be smooth all the way around—some have a seam that digs into or even slices your hand. Each of the cans we tested had two handles or a handle that wrapped across the top and down one side so that you can carry it from the top and then lift and pour using the handle on the side to create leverage.

For filling and cleaning, you want a fill hole big enough that you can see the water level and you can stick your hand or at least a heavy-duty bottle brush into it to scrub it when debris builds up. The sprinkle head should have a close press-fit in its attachment to the spout—not plastic threading that will warp or strip, or a weird angle that’s hard to get right when you’re reattaching the piece. And the head must be easily removable for cleaning.

I selected watering cans that were generally well-received across the board among home gardeners and professionals alike, and I tried to stick with trusted brands with good reputations for manufacturing, availability, and shipping. Most of the people I spoke to during my research agreed that they would definitely not spend more than $50 on a watering can unless it was a gift and “super fancy.”

How we tested

I did all of the testing at Q Gardens, a Brooklyn Queens Land Trust community garden in my neighborhood. Its infrastructure is pretty minimal, and, significantly, we have no direct access to water—no hoses or sprinklers. Instead we depend on rain-collection barrels and a generous neighbor who fills up our barrels with his hose when we’re short on rain. We fill watering cans from the barrels and water our crops daily, based on need. Prior to receiving the four cans I tested, we had a small fleet of dinky, budget cans handed down from a larger community garden.

We have solanaceae (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants), some climbing beans and squash, salad and cooking greens, very small crops of assorted other vegetables, one raspberry bush, culinary and medicinal herbs, and flowers, which all require different amounts and styles of watering. Almost everything is in a container or burlap sack, although we just got some raised beds put together, and a hedgerow of sunflowers and perennials sits along the fence line. With our garden’s space and its limitations, we rely entirely on watering cans to grow food for ourselves and our neighbors.

With our garden’s space and its limitations, we rely entirely on watering cans to grow food for ourselves and our neighbors.

I used the watering cans to water the entirety of Q Garden several times, using each can in succession and making sure to use each can on all the plants in their various containers and beds at least twice. This way, I used the watering cans for both broad and targeted watering on delicate young plants as well as on more developed, though still fussy, fruiting plants.

Fully hydrating the garden takes anywhere from 10 to 20 gallons of water (or about 5 to 10 refills of each watering can in the test). I rotated through the cans so that I used each can at least twice, and I asked my fellow gardeners for their opinions and observations when they used the cans.

To test the ease of filling, the possibility of spillage or sloshing, and the comfort of carrying, I filled the cans at our water-catchment system and then made a full loop of the garden—a distance of about 150 feet featuring enough obstacles to make it a sufficient testing ground for sloshing and comfort. I also filled the cans in my kitchen sink and in my bathtub before bringing them to the garden to see how they fit under indoor faucets.

The Bloem 2.6-Gallon Easy Pour is a sturdy and versatile plastic watering can, perfect for medium-size gardens with an assortment of plants and crops requiring regular hand-watering. The most significant feature that sets it apart is the removable sprinkle head, which has an adjustable rose that rotates to provide a moderate sprinkle or a direct, consistent stream of water. This Easy Pour function, combined with the can’s large but manageable volume, comfortable handles, and unusually convenient fill hole, makes the Bloem model our top pick. (This model was formerly branded as a Fiskars product.)

I experienced absolutely no leaking, spilling, or sloshing while filling, carrying, or using the can.

The adjustable rose is unique to this watering can; with all the other watering cans we tested and researched, switching from sprinkling to pouring requires removing the sprinkle head completely. The Easy Pour is designed so a simple twist rotates the the outer part of the head on an axle, allowing the water to flow through a smooth, trough-shaped chute or through a bigger chamber with sprinkle holes. (The watering can has a raised diagram with arrows indicating which way to turn for which function.) That it allows you to toggle between the two modes is handy in terms of speed and convenience, but more significantly, it means you don’t have to remove the head and are therefore less likely to misplace that piece.

The Bloem Easy Pour has two perpendicular handles to make filling, carrying, and pouring a bit easier. The shorter vertical handle is part of the molded body of the can while the longer horizontal handle is a separate piece, hinged to the sides of the can so that it can rotate out of the way of the fill hole. The second handle is removable, in case you decide you don’t need it, but it makes carrying a full can more comfortable, and it helps to provide control when you’re pouring. This design made for a bit of a learning curve, but it became my preference after about a week of use.

The Bloem model’s unusual top handle rotates on pivots. That makes pouring easier and reduces stress on your spine; the handle also rotates out of the way when you’re filling the can. Photo: Michael Hession

The pour setting delivers a steady stream of water to the base of plants, such as tomatoes, that don’t like getting their leaves wet. Photo: Michael Hession

With a simple twist, the Easy Pour shifts to a gentle rainshower, ideal for seedlings and leafy greens. Photo: Michael Hession

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The fill hole is offset—it’s shifted toward one side of the can’s body, instead of sitting square amidships as on all the other cans we tested. That made filling in the sink or under a spigot quite easy, because the faucet or spigot didn’t have to reach as far, nor have to fit underneath the can’s handles. Due to the relatively small size of the hole, I experienced absolutely no leaking, spilling, or sloshing while filling, carrying, or using the can. Other tested cans with larger fill-holes, such as the OXO and the Dramm, sloshed water out.

The pour function of the Bloem sprinkle head is flawless, providing a direct and steady stream of water without gushing in a way that damages the soil. No other can in our test group delivered this level of performance—most other models poured too hard, risking washing soil away from delicate roots. I prefer this function specifically for the tomatoes and the hedgerow—these plants prefer to have only their roots, not their leaves, watered. Together they take up the most square footage of growing space at our garden, so the pour function has been getting a lot of use.

With the overlapping handles and large orange rose, this model is not the most aesthetically pleasing can, but it also isn’t garish in the least. It is practical and sturdy, and it won’t look amiss in any garden.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The removable second handle, which is unique to the Bloem watering can, gives it an unusual level of versatility. However, the handle can be unstable when it isn’t secured by the full weight of the can as you’re toting water. The first time I brought all the watering cans to the garden, I was carrying this one by the removable handle; I swung it a little, and the handle detached and sent the can flying. This happened only once, and the problem is easy to avoid once you know it’s a possibility. But Bloem could probably improve the design to remove the risk entirely.

The fill hole is a bit small, so thoroughly cleaning inside the can is difficult—but because it’s small, I doubt much debris that you can’t just pour out the spout will get in there.

The sprinkle function of the adjustable head leaves a bit to be desired. The rainshower could stand to be a bit gentler, and the head tends to dribble some if you don’t hold the can just so, but it does provide a deep and mostly consistent watering without fail. These are complaints common to most cans we tested (only the OXO didn’t dribble), but they’re worth mentioning in addition to the absolutely stellar pour function.

During my research, I found some reviews and comments mentioning that the adjustable function of the sprinkle head can begin to wear out and break after extended use, which seems fairly likely given its moving parts. This is something we’ll keep track of, and we will update this review if any issues with the function of the sprinkle head arise.

Buying Options

Our upgrade pick, the standard of professional gardeners worldwide, is the 1.3-gallon (5-liter) Bosmere Haws Longreach V115. It was our pick in our original 2014 test because it delivered the gentlest rainshower and the most precise pour from its extra-long spout. But it costs a lot, it’s big, and it can be hard to find.

The particularly gentle rainshower comes from the distinctive design of the sprinkle head, or rose, which you can turn so that it faces upright. With the head in this position, water sprays upward and then arcs downward, falling as gently as rain. Most cans, including all the others in our test group, spray only downward, producing a somewhat rougher spray of water that can be a little too harsh for tiny seedlings or loose soil.

The extra-long spout makes reaching plants in wide beds easy and allows you to keep the can near the centerline of your body, reducing strain on your spine. The V115 is also well-balanced overall; if you garden every day or have lots of watering to do, its balance makes a real difference in your comfort and pleasure over time.

Water sprays upward and then arcs downward, falling as gently as rain.

Finally, the fill hole is wide enough for you to fit your hand or a scrub brush in for cleaning (though the same is true of some other cans, including the Dramm and OXO cans we tested). The removable sprinkle head has a clever storage peg on the can, so you won’t lose it.

Although this model was our pick in a previous version of this guide, its price and availability have never been ideal, and we think the Bloem Easy Pour solves these problems while still delivering satisfying performance. The price of the Bosmere Haws model varies online but is generally higher than the price of the Bloem, and due to this model’s popularity and the manufacturer, it’s often out of stock. The long spout also makes this model more difficult than the Bloem to store, and the placement of the handle and fill hole makes it rather tall and unable to fit under low-profile kitchen faucets—so you may need to fill it in the tub or at a spigot.

The competition

The Dramm 10-12450 5-liter/1.3-gallon watering can is a lightweight, made-in-the-USA, affordable long-reach can, but it’s much too long for easy storage and can be a little unwieldy, especially in small urban gardens. Its removable sprinkle head casts a gentle, rainlike shower that’s ideal for big tables of seeding trays or wide flower beds but too imprecise for small crops or containers. Without the sprinkle head, the water rushes out of the spout and can flood pretty quickly.

The holes on the sprinkle head of the 2-gallon Union Products 63065 are too small to get anything especially wet, and the size of the fill hole combined with the angle of the spout makes this model nearly impossible to clean fully. The two handles are comfortable and easy to use, and the can stores easily, but the quality of the molded plastic seems to be the lowest among our test group.

The 2.1-gallon/8-liter OXO Good Grips Outdoor Pour & Store has a sprinkle head made of a flexible rubber material that does not consistently get a secure fit with the spout and is frustrating to reattach after removal. The sprinkle head isn’t strong enough to control or distribute the volume of water reliably, so I found myself using this can without the sprinkle head. The spout is tapered through the length and angled at the end, however, which gives it a great shape for an easily controlled stream without the sprinkle head attached.

What about for indoor plants?

For indoor plants, ad hoc watering tools tend to dribble and force you to engage in acrobatics when you’re reaching for hanging plants. A dedicated watering can with a long spout makes keeping your plants hydrated much easier and neater. In our houseplant starter kit guide, our staff pick is the IKEA Bittergurka watering can for its design and ease of use.

Our former recommendation was the Bloem Living 56-Ounce Aqua Rite, which we tested in 2016. It’s a basic plastic 7.5-inch-tall watering can that pours well and handles comfortably. It doesn’t slosh or spill, and it makes an excellent watering can if your plants are all waist-height or below, but it gets trickier to use the higher you have to reach. The Bloem is still a fine option if you want to pay less or aren’t planning a trip to IKEA. But we think anyone looking for shopping advice on watering cans has probably seen a few Bloem-type cans already and would likely be happier with the Bittergurka, a more compact and stylish choice for use indoors.

We also tried the 3-liter OXO Good Grips Pour & Store, which is good for those with a lot of houseplants but not a great choice for anyone short on storage or needing to reach lots of high plants. It’s almost twice the capacity of the Bloem, but that means it’s heavier and harder to lift when full. But if size is no issue, it’s comfortable and it pours steadily.

We tested a pour-over coffee kettle from Mira in 2016, as well as Kontextür’s X3 can, but both of those models are no longer available.

What to look forward to

The Behrens 210 Steel Watering Can has a classic and simple design and comes highly rated, but its sprinkler head doesn’t have a pour option. We hope to test it against our pick, the Bloem Easy Pour.